Christa Kinde's Blog, page 72
January 14, 2014
COUNTDOWN: 2 Weeks
COMING SOON! Book 4 in the Threshold Series will release on Tuesday, January 28, 2014, just 2 weeks from today. To count down, I’ll be doing a weekly post to share newsy tidbits, sneak peeks at sketches, and brand new story art. Today, I have a sketch with Ransom & Prissie, a stack of review copies, and an invitation to Miss Priss’s birthday party! ♥
The Pomeroys pull together in the aftermath of the storm that shook West Edinton—and Prissie’s faith—to its very foundations. Letting go proves difficult, and holding on takes all of her courage. With the encouragement of a brother who’s in on her secret, Prissie finds her feet. With the help of the bane who’s now a brother, she takes a stand. As spring comes to the orchard, a cryptic remark from Abner hints at West Edinton’s long-kept secret. A beloved aunt returns from overseas. A faded angel takes up residence atop the Pomeroys’ refrigerator. A treasured friend must say goodbye. While ranks of the Faithful rally to defend what’s most precious, Prissie discovers that angels aren’t the only ones who are Sent. [Available in hardcover and e-book editions.]
PRE-ORDER! Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Zondervan
The baker’s daughter. Prissie’s struggled to earn a place for herself in her father’s bakery. Learning that Ransom shares her dream changes the bane of her school days into a rival for Mr. Pomeroy’s time and attention. The kitchen at Loafing Around could easily become a battlefield in Book 4. This week, I’m sharing the initial sketch for a gorgeous watercolor called “Cupcakes.”
Hot off the presses. Yesterday, a courier came knocking on my front door with a sturdy envelope from Zondervan. A quick zip and rip, and I was holding my very first copy of The Garden Gate. The jacket’s beautifully embossed. The dedication made me smile. The kids vied for the chance to read it first. Ah. There’s a special joy that comes with seeing something through to The End.
Review Copies. This first copy is a harbinger of more to come. Boxes always follow! : ) So this week, I’ll begin collecting names of people interested in receiving a review copy of The Garden Gate. What does that mean? Simple. I send you Book 4. And you help spread the word by submitting an honest review to places like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, GoodReads, CBD, etc. You can tweet pictures, favorite lines, or general enthusiasm @ChristaKinde and @Zonderkidz and @GoodTeenReads. Book bloggers are also most welcome. Wanna do an interview? Maybe even a guest post? To request a review copy, email me:
christa [dot] kinde [at] gmail [dot] com.
On a related note, if you haven’t yet reviewed Books 1 – 3 in the series, it’s never too late. A peek at Amazon last night showed a skimpy turn-out for feedback on The Hidden Deep and The Broken Window. You can also rate/review the two free short stories—”Angels All Around” and “Angels in Harmony.” Any support you can offer is greatly appreciated. Let’s spread the word!
January 21. Next Tuesday is Miss Priss’s birthday, and I’m working behind the scenes on something special for her big day. Look forward to Pomeroy-style fun and games! ♥ I’m curious! How would you celebrate her birthday? What do you think she’d enjoy most?
MORE NEXT TIME>>
Tried and True, Chapter 47: Blended Family
Chapter 47: Blended Family
Taweel followed the sound of trickling water into an enclosed garden. Evidences of Loris’s expertise were everywhere—dye pots, thread skeins, heaps of shimmering cloth. The Weaver knelt before a frame, four needles flying as he chatted with his apprentice.
Weft looked enough like his mentor to give the impression that they were father and son. Impossible, but oddly comforting. Taweel had lost his charge, his mentor, his captain. But these two felt like a family.
Loris glanced up. “Join us!”
Weft hurriedly dragged over another cushion, tutting over Omri as Taweel took his new place. A Guardian among Weavers.
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Author’s Note: This story in small chapters is a prequel to Christa Kinde’s Threshold Series [Zonderkidz] and updates every weekday (Monday through Friday). More information can be found on the Tried and True index page. And don’t forget, story art is on display in my gallery.
Tried and True, © Copyright 2013-2014 Christa Kinde, all rights reserved. If you want to receive an email whenever my stories update, consider subscribing to this blog. You can also watch for notifications on Twitter.
Tried and True, Chapter 46: Walk in the Light
Chapter 46: Walk in the Light
Loris’s home was so unlike the tents of Guardians, which smelled of oil, leather, and polish. Taweel’s nose twitched at the mingling of unusual odors. Instead of the crack of weapons and rhythmic grind of whetstones heard in hadarim encampments, he heard clacking looms and excited chatter. But there was light aplenty, and that was most important.
“Better?” he asked in hushed tones.
Omri spread his hands wide as if welcoming the light’s embrace.
Cradling the yahavim close, Taweel closed his eyes and lifted his face to the sky. Little breezes ruffled his hair in gentle greeting. “Better,” he sighed.
<< PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT CHAPTER >>
Author’s Note: This story in small chapters is a prequel to Christa Kinde’s Threshold Series [Zonderkidz] and updates every weekday (Monday through Friday). More information can be found on the Tried and True index page. And don’t forget, story art is on display in my gallery.
Tried and True, © Copyright 2013-2014 Christa Kinde, all rights reserved. If you want to receive an email whenever my stories update, consider subscribing to this blog. You can also watch for notifications on Twitter.
January 13, 2014
In which I find new ways to be newsy…
Authorial Endeavor #032. With the turning of the year, I finally got around to an item that’s been lurking on my authorial To Do list for many months. After a day of rummaging around the MailChimp site, I’m ready to issue my very first newsletter! Some of the stuff in these monthly emails will be the same kinds of things you read here every Friday. But to give y’all sufficient incentive to subscribe, I’ll save extra-special fun stuff for my newsletter. For instance, the January edition will include an excerpt from the devotional I’m writing now. I won’t be posting that scene to my blog, so to read it … you’ll need to subscribe!
Signing up is super easy. Follow the link to the form. Provide your email address, and if you want to receive postcards from me, I’ve included a spot for that. I’ll issue January’s newsletter this coming Friday, so be quick. And spread the word. ♥
Cover reveals. Story excerpts. New art. Good news.
Sign up to hear all the fun stuff first! : )
January 10, 2014
The Week’s Accumulation lxxii
This is one of those weeks that every author’s gotta love. This was one of those weeks when I finished something! Over the holidays, I poked and prodded a manuscript I wrote last summer. My inner editor had pinpointed a couple of gaps that needed filling—a missing battle sequence, a growly confrontation, and an appropriately ominous epilogue. This afternoon, I hit SAVE one last time, backed the book up in three places, and jotted a note to my editor at Zondervan. Fwoo! It feels good to cross the first book in a new trilogy off my To Do list! That’s my big news, but other authorial clutter awaits. Check it out!
This week’s accumulation:
♦ We’re in the midst of a countdown to the release of The Garden Gate. A few of you responded to last Tuesday’s post. Some of you may have missed the fun stuff that happened in the comments. I revealed some fun facts and asked a trivia question. Keep chatting with me, and you’ll learn even more! Here’s a little of what was said:
♦ Fun Fact: Prissie’s birthday is in January! ♥
♦ Fun Fact: Jayce Pomeroy drives a 15-passenger van. I’ll fill it up in Book 4! ; )
♦ Trivial Tidbit: Baird has at least two nicknames for Milo that are mentioned in the series. Do you remember what they are?
♦ This last week, an artist friend of mine decided to put her new set of gray copic markers to the test by creating art of some of the Threshold Series angels. Here are just two of them. I’ll share more another week.
Baird and Kester by Terri Delgado
♦ And while we’re on the subject of Worshipers, let me remind you that Baird and Kester are the focus of a brand new FREE short story that’s written by yours truly and illustrated by Anna Earley. Story Summary: Angels have always served in pairs, but Baird is sure there must be some mistake when Kester shows up on his doorstep. The vividly energetic redhead couldn’t have been more different from his genteel new apprentice. Yet their rocky beginnings give way to a unique balance, proving that friendship can flourish in the unlikeliest of places, given time, trust, and the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Angels in Harmony ♦ Free Download
♦ It’s come to my attention that January is National Mentoring Month, so the various mentors from the Threshold universe have been on my mind. Do you have a favorite? Just for fun, can you remember who’s apprenticed to each of these guys? (Click the links to see character art for each.)
◊ Jedrick
◊ Conrad
◊ Verrill
◊ Garrick
◊ Taweel
◊ Harken
◊ Abner
♦ Last week, I mentioned that I’m working with Anna Earley on creating a proper book cover for Rough and Tumble (and for Tried and True). As promised, here’s an initial sketch of Zeke and Ethan for this completed serial! The cover should be done by next week. Looking forward to that reveal! : )
♦ And since I recently went through and added several missing thumbnails to the galleries that are indexed in my Story Art Gallery, here’s a selection:
So what’s cluttering up your desktop? Do tell!
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Tried and True, Chapter 45: Trust Fall
Chapter 45: Trust Fall
Taweel stood on his cot and reached up to set Omri in his wreath, where the light was stronger. “Sit there. Stay.”
With a moody meep, he did. But only long enough for the Guardian to retreat.
Once Taweel stretched out on his cot, Omri dropped, not once fanning his wings to slow his fall. Lurching forward, Taweel caught him. “What was that?” he demanded worriedly.
But Omri simply lay with his cheek pressed to Taweel’s palm, limp and listless. Which was more than enough to firm his resolve. Thrusting aside the alcove’s curtain, Taweel stepped out into the light.
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Author’s Note: This story in small chapters is a prequel to Christa Kinde’s Threshold Series [Zonderkidz] and updates every weekday (Monday through Friday). More information can be found on the Tried and True index page. And don’t forget, story art is on display in my gallery.
Tried and True, © Copyright 2013 Christa Kinde, all rights reserved. If you want to receive an email whenever my stories update, consider subscribing to this blog. You can also watch for notifications on Twitter.
January 9, 2014
Tried and True, Chapter 44: Double Standard
Chapter 44: Double Standard
Taweel found himself in the absurd position of giving advice he refused to take himself. “You need to leave these shadows. Children of light must dwell in light!”
Omri simply mimicked the Guardian’s arms-folded stance.
How could one so small cause such an uproar? The answer was simple. Taweel remembered how a baby’s first squall had sent him to his knees. And this was like that. “Please, little one. I love you too much to let you dwindle away.”
Then Taweel bowed his head and wept, for it was as if God had spoken the very same words to him.
<< PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT CHAPTER >>
Author’s Note: This story in small chapters is a prequel to Christa Kinde’s Threshold Series [Zonderkidz] and updates every weekday (Monday through Friday). More information can be found on the Tried and True index page. And don’t forget, story art is on display in my gallery.
Tried and True, © Copyright 2013 Christa Kinde, all rights reserved. If you want to receive an email whenever my stories update, consider subscribing to this blog. You can also watch for notifications on Twitter.
Tried and True, Chapter 43: Consequences
Chapter 43: Consequences
The next time Weft visited Taweel’s hiding place, he brought along a yahavim with a tuft of icy blue hair who shone like a star. While the young Weaver showed off a skein of thread he’d dyed purple, Taweel kept half an eye on the game of chase happening overhead. Something nagged at him until finally, he asked, “Why is that little one so much brighter than Omri?”
Weft answered quietly. “Yahavim need light.”
“Heaven is awash. The supply is as endless as eternity.”
Weft’s slender hands indicated the alcove. “But Omri lingers in shadows.”
“With me,” Taweel whispered, thunderstruck.
<< PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT CHAPTER >>
Author’s Note: This story in small chapters is a prequel to Christa Kinde’s Threshold Series [Zonderkidz] and updates every weekday (Monday through Friday). More information can be found on the Tried and True index page. And don’t forget, story art is on display in my gallery.
Tried and True, © Copyright 2013 Christa Kinde, all rights reserved. If you want to receive an email whenever my stories update, consider subscribing to this blog. You can also watch for notifications on Twitter.
Tried and True, Chapter 42: Hunger Pangs
Chapter 42: Hunger Pangs
Taweel understood what it meant to fight. Against staggering odds. Against princes and principalities. But Omri was a force he didn’t know how to combat. The yahavim brought manna at odd intervals to keep him from dimming. Except it was never quite enough. Omri only succeeded in making Taweel crave more of the stuff.
“Do you know what you are doing?” he asked, even though the little one couldn’t answer.
With every portion, Omri proved that God’s mercy was sweet.
“You have an unfair advantage.”
It was the simple truth. Omri would win. Because Taweel was counting on his success.
<< PREVIOUS CHAPTER | NEXT CHAPTER >>
Author’s Note: This story in small chapters is a prequel to Christa Kinde’s Threshold Series [Zonderkidz] and updates every weekday (Monday through Friday). More information can be found on the Tried and True index page. And don’t forget, story art is on display in my gallery.
Tried and True, © Copyright 2013 Christa Kinde, all rights reserved. If you want to receive an email whenever my stories update, consider subscribing to this blog. You can also watch for notifications on Twitter.
January 4, 2014
The Week’s Accumulation lxxi
New Year’s means a lot of things to folks. A clean slate. A starting line. A fresh resolve. We reminisce about the year gone by—highlights, turning points, goals met, friends made. We make plans for the future. As for myself, I spent part of my Christmas holiday mapping out a three-year writing plan. But all the grand schemes in the world still come down to day-by-day dedication, in spite of life’s little interruptions. (Like the nasty cough/cold I won’t moan about.) So … Happy New Year! Let’s do this!
This week’s accumulation:
♦ I posted Chapter 40 of Tried and True this morning. There’s still so much to look forward to in the story, but I’m glad to have finally brought Taweel and Omri together. If you haven’t been following my latest serial, give it a whirl. The story updates every weekday (with occasional lags for nasty cough/colds) with a quick 100-word chapter.
Summary: In Tried and True, we go back into the past, to a time when Taweel was an apprentice himself, Sent to watch over a young girl. When her life ends, his heart shatters. The grieving Guardian’s life undergoes a slow and steady transformation after he meets a yahavim named Omri, a pair of heavenly Weavers, a Worshiper whose songs are laced with sorrow, and two little boys with auburn hair and wide brown eyes.
♦ Let’s celebrate Omri’s naming with some yahavim art!
Little Friend by MistyTang
♦ In other news, we’ve started a countdown to the release of Book 4: The Garden Gate with a back cover reveal. Watch for more new art, newsy bits, and teasers on Tuesdays. The final installment in the Threshold Series will go on sale on January 28, 2014. You can pre-order your copy now! Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Zondervan
♦ One of the items on my desktop this morning is a series of thumbnails. Anna Earley and I are in the midst of creating a proper book cover for Rough and Tumble! I’ll share the final sketch and my plans for Ethan’s and Zeke’s story next week! ♥
So what’s cluttering up your desktop? Do tell!
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